Your Commander-in-Chief – Chapter 10

The sun was beginning to set. A red twilight spread across the southern gate of Lunaris Capital City.

The south gate of Lunaris Capital City was an open space, a hotspot for players interested in PVP.

As usual, a flag fell from the sky, signaling the start of duels among users.

People started gathering at the south gate.

At first, no one noticed. The users who converged here were too focused on their duel opponents, just like always.

However, as the clock struck 5 PM, a massive crowd gathered, enough to disrupt any meaningful duel.

A user with the nickname Franche looked around, frowning.

This was a designated PVP area, governed by an unspoken rule among players.

Suddenly, a flood of people arrived. Two possibilities crossed his mind.

First, a famous broadcaster could be showing up.

Second, a specific guild could have chosen this place for an event.

But after checking the users’ nicknames and guilds, he shook his head. It wasn’t just one guild. A mishmash of different users had gathered all at once. It seemed a famous broadcaster was indeed present.

Franche despised broadcasters. When someone went on air, their strategies would get exposed. That was a devastating weakness for him, especially with a PVP tournament on the horizon.

“Do you think they’ll actually show up?”

“They probably will. They seemed pretty confident!”

Conversations echoed around him. He picked out repeated words among the murmurs.

Party Leader, Jumin, High School Girl.

In that moment, the crowd’s attention suddenly shifted toward the gate’s entrance.

A group of ten users stepped out.

All members of the same guild.

[ShingShing]

A guild that was quite well-known, for better or worse.

The ShingShing Guild had arrived at this place.

“They’re here.”

“Where’s the Party Leader? Didn’t Jumin come?”

Only then did Franche grasp the context.

It was a duel. Someone had set a meeting here specifically to face the ShingShing Guild.

“Quite a crowd we have here.”

“Of course, it’s worth paying attention to.”

A Paladin clad in full plate armor and a Knight wielding a huge shield exchanged words.

Both were members of the ShingShing Guild.

Jimin, a Priestess of the Lunaris Goddess, looked at the gathered “water buffaloes” assembled for her benefit.

Each of them was a power user. When water buffaloes gathered, their synergy was something else.

As if to show off that she was the best water buffalo, she started competing with the others, leading to results she never expected.

Most of those results worked out well for Jimin.

Today would be no different.

She didn’t like the Party Leader who had come to this gathering.

The person using the nickname Yeo was likely a student with limited playtime between 5 PM to 10 PM.

At first, Jimin was only intrigued.

She had just crossed level 20, and that was before one of her water buffaloes spoke up.

“Isn’t it about time you start looking for a party, Jimin?”

That’s right. Knowing she would achieve maximum level soon, she thought she needed to secure a party.

But she needed conditions. The ongoing party would be hard to find her place in.

So, she had to find a new party to join with her fellow water buffaloes.

That’s why she applied to the party that had been the topic of conversation last night.

Her message, which she fancied was cute and well-written, was flatly rejected.

“You’re too low level.”

“Come on… I can level up quickly…”

“Can you reach maximum level in two days?”

“Is there anyone who can do that?”

“Well, sorry. Others may join though.”

It stung Jimin’s pride that water buffaloes could but she couldn’t.

“Forget it. I don’t want that party.”

“I don’t need low-level people either.”

She wouldn’t back down. Her pride was hurt. So the conversation continued like that.

Eventually, they arranged a duel appointment right there at the south gate.

The loser had to strip off all the gear they were wearing on the spot.

The defeated would feel tremendous humiliation.

Jimin was confident she would win. After all, she had plenty of water buffaloes to fight for her.

The ten guild members gathered.

While Jimin chewed on her lip in anger, the crowd’s gaze turned back to the gate.

There she was. A Small Girl. Incredibly small.

She had expected the Party Leader to be young, but this was beyond her imagination.

However, if they used customization features, adjusting height wouldn’t be a problem whatsoever.

As Jimin gazed at the girl adorned in full plate, her eyes widened.

An unforgettable opponent stood there—the girl who had shot an arrow that took her neck clean off.

How could she forget?

But it didn’t make sense. That user had been level 15 back then. There was no way she could have leveled up 10 levels in just two days.

Distrust, denial, suspicion, jealousy—various negative emotions surged up.

Thanks to the full plate she wore, the girl’s size looked a little bigger, but she was likely just over 140 cm tall.

Everyone’s eyes fell to the girl’s face.

Her silky black hair danced in the wind. Her slightly loosened gaze scanned the surroundings meticulously.

Her lips curled up ever so slightly, indicating her displeasure at the situation.

She wasn’t wearing a helmet. That meant she had confidence in her character’s appearance.

Those who spotted her face couldn’t help but nod.

With looks so pretty and cute, the atmosphere conveyed acceptance.

Jimin approached the girl named Yeo with her guild members.

“Is that you?”

A haughty voice flowed from the girl.

Her voice resonated, not loud but with a melodious tone, embedding itself in everyone’s ears.

“Let’s begin…”

“Who do you think will win?”

“Looks like it’ll be ShingShing.”

As whispers floated around, Jimin smiled at the chatter coming from behind her.

It was a confident smirk.

“Wow, you’re quite cocky.”

“Cocky?”

The girl’s lips twitched. Tilting her head slightly, she scrutinized the guild members.

“Oh, it’s that Priest from last time.”

Jimin’s eyes widened. No way, she thought, this couldn’t be possible, yet the opponent was indeed that level 15 user from the other day.

Flashes of that user charging at her with a Highlander danced in her mind.

“Are you stepping up? Gonna die in one second like last time?”

At Yeo’s words, Jimin’s face turned red. The enhanced tech detected the user’s emotions and reflected them in the character.

In that moment, a Paladin towering over her stepped forward, looking twice her size.

“That’s quite the harsh talk!”

Yeo didn’t respond. She merely waved her finger in the air, manipulating her interface.

And then, a flag fell from the sky.

“Did you come here just to talk nonsense?”

“How old are you?”

The suddenly thrown question was enough to fluster Yeo.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the Small Girl’s answer.

“4… no, 15 years old…”

Right after Yeo finished speaking, murmurs erupted around her.

The Paladin standing in front of Yeo confirmed the duel’s conditions.

Everyone could see the duel’s settings.

The stakes? All equipped items.

A high-risk, high-return condition, but there was no way to decline it. There was simply no reason to do so.

“What the hell… this kid hasn’t even gone to the military and talks back like that?”

The Paladin thought the girl was male based on her size.

It was a reasonable assumption! After all, girls her age didn’t reach maximum level.

“What? Military? You little brat… I’ve been!”

Before Yeo’s confused reply ended, murmurs swept through the crowd again.

“She’s a military high school girl…”

“Guess that’s an option…”

“Her customization is super cute.”

But that panic didn’t last long.

Yeo took a deep breath and, with a calm gaze, glared at the opposing Paladin.

“Draw your sword.”

The Paladin nodded silently and drew his sword.

It was a one-handed weapon suitable for close range.

The Paladin was equipped with a massive shield and a one-handed sword.

Yeo also readied her weapon.

Her equipment was a kite shield, not too large, and a Highlander sword that looked oversized for her small frame.

The duel began.

Yeo made the first move. With agility that matched her petite size, she dove to the side of the Paladin.

The huge shield began to budge. With a simple flick of the wrist, his projections stopped her strike.

That was one of the advantages of a colossal shield.

But Yeo wasn’t concerned with defending. Her goal wasn’t to just attack.

“Hyah!”

She let out a bright yell, her face flushed.

To others, the sound was adorable, but the game system recognized it as a skill activation.

One of Highlander’s skills, [Threatening Roar], debuffed the opponent and increased the damage they received.

A murky effect streaked across the Paladin’s body.

Swords clashed with bright flashes.

A rapid series of strikes erupted from Yeo’s sword, but they couldn’t break through the Paladin’s sturdy guard.

However, no matter how much he defended with his shield, damage was still stacking up.

The Paladin’s gaze remained stoic behind the shield, watching the girl’s movements.

He was also a talented player. He could read the opponent’s moves.

Right side.

He adjusted the position of his shield slightly.

Clang!

Now, right side again.

Clang!

In this way, they maintained perfect defense. Yet the Paladin’s expression remained rigid, never easing up.

There was no chance to retaliate. He’d have to lower his shield to swing his sword.

But the girl’s movements were faster than he anticipated.

The moment he dropped his shield to attack, her sword would fly in.

Every time Yeo’s sword struck the Paladin’s massive shield, sparks flew.

Passive skills activated at a certain probability, triggering one after another.

The immense impact built up. If he kept defending like this, he would lose.

The Paladin made a decisive move. He slammed his shield down on the ground.

His rank 1 job was Knight. The skill he just used was [Shield Train], which stuns the opponent for a period of time.

A powerful shockwave erupted from the shield and surged through the ground.

Yeo caught sight of it. A skill she remembered from long ago dawned on her mind.

Yeo was once an avid PVP player. Meaning, just observing the skill’s motion gave her an idea of its effects.

Instantly, she sprang into action. She lightly jumped onto the Paladin’s shield.

The platform was ready. Immediately, she unleashed her skill.

[Charge]

The two skills were cast almost simultaneously.

A skill that was supposed to be used on the ground had been fired into the air.

The little girl was wrapped in blue mana, floating into the air, then she spun her body.

The small girl suddenly soared up into the sky.

Naturally, everyone’s gaze turned towards her.

Bathed in soft moonlight, the tiny Paladin swung her sword as she twirled in midair.

The speed with which she fell towards the ground added more power to her strike.

Just before she landed, Yeo tossed aside her kite shield to grip her sword with both hands.

Yeo’s weapon was a Highlander—a versatile weapon that could be wielded one-handed or two.

Boom!

A powerful strike landed. The Paladin, who had been zoning out while staring at the sky, was unable to react to the attack from the small girl.

The helmet he wore shattered like glass, and he fell to the ground.

The outcome of the duel was decided.

The Paladin began to recover from the brink of death.

The moment his head regenerated, the duel system started collecting the items at stake.

His massive full plate vanished. So did his massive shield and sword.

The man who had been a Paladin was now left sitting on the ground, just in plain trousers and a white shirt.

“Next.”

Yeo’s voice cut through the silence.

Shouldering her sword, she looked down at the next opponent.

Her posture exuded utter arrogance.